League files grievance against Vilma for pursuing defamation case

Things have quieted down a bit in connection with the Saints bounty scandal, but the present calm comes merely from a minor break in the line of storms.

Eventually, the lawsuits filed recently in Louisiana will heat up, with inevitable efforts to block the suspensions pending the outcome of the courtroom challenges to Commissioner Roger Goodell’s exercise of power over the players. As to the defamation claim filed by Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma against Goodell, however, the NFL has thrown down the proverbial gloves.

Vilma has disclosed on Twitter that the league has asked him, perhaps not politely, to abandon the case.

The nfl sent me a letter "demanding" I drop my defamation suit or else...lol or else wat?!?? They no likey me lawsuitey

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the more accurate description is that the NFL has filed a grievance under the CBA against the NFLPA and Vilma seeking an order forcing Vilma to dismiss his defamation suit. On Wednesday, lawyer Peter Ginsberg informed the league that Vilma will not be withdrawing the defamation suit, arguing that the grievance filed by the league has no merit.

The letter, a copy of which PFT has obtained, contends that the grievance procedure contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement doesn’t apply in this case, because Vilma filed his suit not “against the NFL or any Club” but against Goodell, and because the defamation claim arises not from the suspension imposed by Goodell on Vilma but from the allegedly false public statements made by Goodell before imposing discipline.

The grievance “constitutes an improper effort to interfere with a pending judicial matter,” Ginsberg writes in his letter to Dennis Curran, NFL Sr. Vice President of Labor Litigation & Policy. “If you pursue the Grievance, we will consider seeking sanctions against the NFL [Management Council] before Honorable Helen G. Berrigan . . . based on NFLMC’s improper attempt to obstruct a pending judicial action in which it is not a party.”

So, yes, as Vilma surmises, the NFL “no likey [his] lawsuitey.” And Vilma’s lawyer doesn’t like how the NFL is voicing its displeasure.

And the end result is that the ever-twisting-and-turning bounty case has developed yet another twist and/or turn.

Vilma isn’t a joke, you’re reaction is. If you bother understanding the process you’d realize Goodell is afraid of the courtroom. He’s trying to use NFL rules to stop a legal proceeding. He’s the joke and all this courtroom football is due to his “gray area” rulings.

I love that Vilma’s lawyer it throwing the “improper” word back at Roger and NFL. The 16 game suspension of Vilma is ridiculous given that the NFL has shown no evidence to prove that Vilma did any more than any other player, just that he was one random guy involved who the commish has spread random unsubstantiated stories about him waving around some money.

Ummmm How is that ignorant? You know on twitter you have a limited number of letters and symbols you can use right? Because if you didn’t know that and you make the statement you just made that is the actual definition of ignorant.

a : destitute of knowledge or education ; also : lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified b : resulting from or showing lack of knowledge or intelligence

I am not Vilma’s biggest fan but there is no factual evidence the NFL has presented against the players. If our legal system needed the amount of hear say presented (and presented is the key word) then even our kids would be in jail.

If you continue to be “ignorant” of the situation you really should just keep your hands off your keyboard and continue playing around the internet with your mouse only.

He’s such an idiot. As if he’ll ever have an NFL career after this. He could have, if he just sucked it up and admitted his guilt, OR not tried for a stupid lawsuit. This is so old now and they need to drop it all on account it’s boring. He’s so illiterate too. Who types like he did on twitter. I know 4 year olds that type and talk better than he does.

Vilma is going down. The league with black SUV’s will crush him. Goodell should ramp up the suspension to a lifetime ban due to insubordination of the CBA agreement. Then ban him from working on the NFL Network forever.
This guy is just a bit player in a league of 1600 players.

Cold Hard Facts: Goodell face is still red and he has no regard for player rights…Goodell is a smart but twisted commissioner…c’mon, in his eyes..players are guilty and must prove their innocent…I thought that a person was innocent until proven guilty…Goodell says, ok players where’s your evidence…why does the accused have to provide evidence that they are innocent and how could they if Goodell silenced and dismiss anything the coaches have to say…can’t get a fair hearing in Goodell’s kangaroo court system…this mess won’t go away anytime soon…stay tuned!

i tweeted vilma and told him to best get his message across to the general public would be to release any info on fridays after 2pm…not during the middle of the week like this. by monday with time to think about it… the believability factor skyrockets. oh yeah…only release it to trusted media.

Vilma….Dude….you lost. Lick your wounds call it a day. Something happened buddy and if you were the most penalized player out of the4 odds are they have more than enough to prove you wrong. You’re absolutely embarrassing yourself and this is going to end badly for you. When will players learn using twitter is a horrible idea when expressing your deepest feelings and thoughts about their boss.

Oh lord, the unintelligent and illiterate speak on twitter. This guy Vilma is a joke.

Uhm … I don’t think so! He is actually quite intelligent and certainly literate! Do a little research. Just your making this broad unsubstantiated comment leads me to believe you might need to question your own intelligence or at the very least deeply reflect on why you’d make such a statement. Just saying!

How dare you Vilma for not allowing the NFL to lie about you in public! You should be more like the sheep above me and bow down to the almighty Dictator. How dare you fight for your reputation and defend your good name. How dare you fight for your rights as an American!

Dude should be banned from the league not for bounty gate, but for. Wing a complete moron who thinks he shouldn’t be held accountable for anything, he couldnt work at a gas station with the intellect he has shown.

I really am rooting for Vilma and all the other suspended players cause I really can’t stand Goodell but putting stupid ish like this on twitter is hurting his case..why isn’t his lawyers/advisors telling him to lay low out the light with this nonsense?

Typical, anyone who has or has spent time with children will recognize this behavior. Knowing that he is suspended for the year and that HE WILL LOSE he’s acting up as much as possible to still try and get attention knowing full well he is about to spend the year on the coach and not in front of tv cameras. His ridiculous ego cant handle the prospect of not getting to give after game interviews or the fact that he will in no way be a subject of interest and he simply cant handle it so he’s acting out as much as he can.

Manchild, plain and simple. You are listening to a 9 year old in a grown mans body. Pathetic, really.

Goodell has entirely mismanaged this bounty scandal whether or not the Saints and the suspended parties are guilty of what they are alleged to be or not. As neither a fan nor a hater of the Saints, I have no stake in this.

On one hand I think it’s pretty stupid to use the words “or else what?” to the person who an ultimately break your career with a single blow.

However, I am also intrigued about the ‘or else’ as well. The league have put all their chips in the middle and backed Vilma into a corner. What incentive can they really give him to drop his defamation lawsuit? I’m fairly sure if they suspend him for longer as a result that will break all kinds of labour laws and lead to an even bigger lawsuit.

There’s a reason why no defensive player on any team has pointed a finger at the Saints or Vilma. They all know Goodell could have accused them of the same thing. And if this had happened to them, the top linebackers would be returning fire with no fear the same as Vilma. It’s in their character or they would have never been good at their job. They have much more respect for Vilma than their own fans will ever know.

Goodell wins, Vilma wins: It doesn’t matter to Ginsburg, who’s thrown every imaginable attack at the NFL between this and other cases – despite losing. He’s laughing his way through every billable hour. It wouldn’t be prudent but I’d love to see the NFL counter-sue Ginsburg for harassment.

Mess with the bull and yu get the horns. I’ve only had season tickets for 15 years…but I know when players fight the shield….the shield always wins.
If I was
A friend of Vilma I’d tell him to take the suspension and you’ll
Be back….fight em and lose the nfl will black
Ball you….then have fun.
Take your licks now or be beaten into submission later.

He made his bed when he decided to go outside the NFLPA and file a defamation suit alone to try and get what he wanted. Instead of waiting in line with the other players until the appeal was final and filing the suit with them. Defamation is not an easy case to win, most never make it to trial. And how do you get an injunction on the suspension in a defamation case anyway? A defamation judgement will get you a lot of money, but it won’t reverse the suspension, and thereby is no reason that an injunction would be granted in a defamation case in the first place.

You Saints Haters are wasting your time. Haven’t you relized by now the WHO DAT NATION will never back down and support our players through hell or high water. Vilma has a case and a very legit one at that. If you took as much time to study the case as you do bashing the Saints, you might find yourself opposing Goddell as well. Quick Facts:
1. No coach has admitted to a bounty.
2. No credible evidence can prove a bounty.
3. Greg Williams speech before 49’ers game, if you listen to the whole speech he ends it with ”Have fun, and don’t hurt anybody.” (but you media trolls knew that, right?)
4. NFL has dismissed the Hardgrove ”Give me my money” which apparently was there smoking gun eveidence, yet Hardgrove is still suspended.
5. NFL says Saints had bounty for 3 years, and warned them to stop and they never. Yet in those 3 years have you ever seen a ”cart-off” or illegal ”knockout”? And why would Roger allow it to continue after the first allegation if he was SOOOOOO concerened about the player safety.
6. Find me one piece of evidence on Will Smith. Please, just one! ! ! ! ! !
7. Fujita- refer to statment #6. Just one! ! ! ! ! !
8. Vilma suspended one year for supposedly offering $10,000 to take out Farve, yet thats the same paper of evidence that was retyped by the NFL, and they no longer have the original copy to deem as evidence. Hmmmmm?????
etc. etc. etc. etc….

In ending. What? You don’t like the FACTY’S?
WHOOOOOOOO DATTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!

Ultimately, Vilma is another example of a NFL player who appears to be ill prepared for life after football. He has every right to pursue all remedies to which he believes he’s entitled under the law. That is not the issue.

What’s problematic is how Vilma is trying obtain the relief he seeks. He certainly doesn’t seem to think any particular rules apply to him. Meet with the commissioner before being disciplined? Why bother? Participate in the discipline process agreed to by your union? That’s for Chumps. No, instead I’m going to stomp and scream in front of the press like a petulant child.

Calling your adversary names may have worked in a school yard or on a football field. In the real world, it is a telltale sign of insecurity and desperation.

Our judicial system demands decorum and respect of the tribunal and fellow litigants. Thus far, Vilma has demonstrated no such interest. He would rather beat his chest and yell as loud as he can. Even his lawyer likes to accuse judges of impropriety. So much so his law license got suspended in Florida for five years and was fined over $370,000.

For better or worse, Vilma now finds himself in a courtroom. It’s a playing field with which he’s unfamiliar and a game dominated by lawyers, not football players.

Mr. Vilma most likely will soon be finding out our judicial system does not suffer fools lightly.

Well, it’s official and I never thought I would say it but after reading the comments I must surmise that delusional, in-denial Saints fans are even worse off than delusional, in-denial Patriot fans. Do you care nothing about the game of football?

Contract: the only thing that I can think of, is that the arbitrator can’t force him to drop the lawsuit, however if the arbitrator rules in favor of the league and he doesn’t withdraw the case that would make him in violation of the CBA and ineligible to either remain in the union or play. Either way it would make the suspension stand.

That is only my guess, if anyone knows more I would love to know as I am curious as well.

If you read the tweet before PFT pulled it (likely after my last post that pointed that out, which too has been pulled), you’d see that the ignorance comes from mocking the Asian language…oh, and the “or else what” part was pretty dumb too.

Vilma is a smart guy. He knew his career was over from this. If he did nothing and took his punishment (innocent or not) no team would touch a player accused of offering a $10,000 bounty on a QB. The NFL and Goodell will never backtrack and admit they were wrong. NEVER. So he is taking the lying, self indulgent coward Goodell down with him. If some guy took your career, reputation and millions of dollars from you, I would hope you would have the nuggets to do the same thing.

For all you out there that say Vilma should just “suck it up and accept the suspension”. You just don’t get it! And someone said he was a nobody and that he would not be missed anyway…..
This is a man that has been accused and penalized for something he fully believes he is not guilty of. It is not in his nature, and I’m surprised it would be in yours to “just accept it”! And being treated like a nobody and sacrificed by Goodell likely so he can make a statement about the NFL’s undying support and vigilance on player safety is a little hard to just accept! Good Luck Jonathan!

yojoemama says:
Jul 12, 2012 12:51 AM
Vilma is a punk and should be banned for life for offering $10,000 to anyone who could injure Favre to be out of the game. Hard evidence or no hard evidence, he is guilty as sin.
____________________________

Vitt’s name is also on the “ledger” that says he offered 5,000 to take out Favre. Vitt denied that… called Goodell, and Goodell admitted that the 5,000 for Vitt was false (how can you admit that but still accept everything else on that ledger as 100% true?).

The other two the league claims corroborated the 10k were Cerullo (accuser) and Gregg Williams. According to Ginsberg… Cerullo already retracted his statements against the Saints. Williams hasn’t said anything because he’s being blocked by his lawyer since he’s suspended indefinitely… meaning if he speaks out against the NFL… he’s done.

Of course Williams isn’t talking. He made a deal to get consideration for a shorter suspension. The NFL has stated that he can say what he wants and that probably is true. However as with any other type of deal like this, if he recants that would make the deal void.

So it becomes Williams choice not to say anything as it is his career or Vilma’s. Looking at the long term he has more to lose then Vilma as he can coach longer than Vilma can play.

Right or wrong, that is a reasonable assessment.

Now if we are looking for truth, that may or may not be the right thing to do.

Regarding the other statement, that Vilma believes that he is innocent. No he doesn’t, he believes that they don’t have the ability to prove it. That is what I take from his statements.

It will be interesting to see what happens with all of the lawsuits and legal wrangling.

In order to take away some of Goodell’s tyrancy..this is really important. I may or may not agree with Vilma, but I’m sure Goodell has TOO MUCH power to do whatever he wants, having evidence or not…so Go Vilma, just stop using terms like “lawsuity”

And really why would the league file a grievance against the NFLPA for a suit filed by Vilma independent from the PA?
Me thinky the same person is making their legal decisions that ran their bounty investigation!

Scenario: Vilma’s Lawyer continues to file stuff for his new cash cow. Vilma, who only learned how to blitz in college, keeps paying him. The NFL’ s lawyers are smarter than his lawyer and win big. Godell’s ability to punish is upheld and Vilma is banned for life but still has to pay his ambulance chaser. 5 years later he’s a getting financial advise from Warren Sapp (the”U” again). Beware of karma.

I’m not sure who is dumber and lacks more perspective — Vilma, the Saints or Saints fans.

——————-

The dumbest people of all are those that don’t even want to get to the truth of the matter.

Saints fans just want to know the ugly truth – whatever it is, and the “evidence” the NFL has released or leaked out to the media is either vague and could literally mean anything, or has been discredited within a day by mere fans (see the “ledger” leak – which wasn’t even submitted to the players for their appeals because it did not actually support the NFL’s initial accusations of pay-to-injure).

The longer it takes for the NFL to prove anything to us, the more suspicious we have become that there’s really nothing substantial to back up their claims. Combined with the very, very strange way they’ve handled this entire situation, it just fosters doubt in the system and this has grown to the pervasive outcry you see and loathe today. Because it doesn’t affect you personally.

And face it – Goodell and the NFL are the ones who publicized these accusations before fully resolving the situation with suspensions and appeals, and before even attempting to discuss the situation with the players. It’s likely that the NFL has painted themselves into the proverbial corner. If they can prove otherwise, I’m more than willing to accept it and move on – but they tried to sell me a story and I bit at first. Now I want to take them to task to prove their damning accusations or to reduce the penalties to be commensurate with the actual, known and admitted violations. (Read the coach’s statements more carefully and within the context of the accusations at the time. Also note that Williams’ original statement was rejected by and re-written by the NFL)

Now Saints fans (and others who are paying attention) will see the rhetoric from the NFL has cooled down. No longer are they accusing “Pay-to-injure” or straight up “Bounty Program” – they are now only saying “Pay for Performance/Bounty Program” because that wording is correct regardless of whether the Saints had a PFP or a Bounty program. It’s well established that a PFP existed. “Bounty” not so well established – if we are defining this as placing money on specific targets. I recognize there are claims, but the evidence still leaves room for doubt, and I want to know.

1) This was likely Vilma’s last year in the league anyway, he maybe had one more but that’s it…he has nothing to lose by going all out and trying to get this year back and protect his name

2) He has the NFLPA lawyer…this isn’t costing him anything

3) Every team should be glad the Saints players are standing up to Goodell because if he continues to go unchecked he could do something like this to any team

I am not even a Saints fan I admit I fell for the story when it first broke, but week after week the “evidence” the NFL has shown has been very, very weak. I am glad that Florio seems to be one of the few media members out there even keeping up with it (ESPN has been a joke when reporting this case.) They keep claiming they have tons and tons “50,000+ pages” but they keep holding it back.

If this case is as “strong” as the NFL alleges then why are they so afraid of going to court about it? It should be a slam dunk according to them, right?

For all that choose to believe base stereotypical and false assumptions about all athletes that they are by and large ignorant, have poor impulse control, and are all hoodlums who only got where they are by some fortuitous genetic accident, and furthermore they all will end up penniless back where they belong: I admonish you to not attribute these misguided traits to Mr. Vilma. Check into the family background of Mr Vilma. He graduated in 3 years from the U. His family is a pilar of the South Florida community. The family has been upwardly mobile over multiple generations and is replete with advanced degrees and is the embodiment of respect and success. They fund foundations that do Gods work there and in their native Haiti. I know all this because I had the great fortune to get to know them when I was in school in Cambridge Ma and his sister was at Harvard Busiess School.

Jonathan Vilma is no fool. He has great integrity. He is NO ONES stereotype.

Actually this is kind of ironic. The players were trying to play the no lawsuit card in their grievance against the NFL. That did not work because the action brought against the players was deemed not a lawsuit but a penalty.
Funny that the efforts on the NFL’s “No Suits” case hopefully will not work because the suit is not brought against the NFL but against Roger Goodell….Funny how things that go around, come around.

usmcsniper1: your assertion about not being able to face your accuser is a little off.

If you are charged with robbery or murder and you don’t show up to court you get convicted. You don’t then get to say that you didn’t see the evidence. At that point, you have to wait for the appeal, and at that hearing you still really don’t get to see the evidence because at an appeal it is your job to show why the conviction is wrong.

I don’t know if the NFL has damning evidence or not. I do know that the players decided not to show up at the NFL’s assigned hearings.

Oh yeah and as to the players assertion that Goodell turned them down when they asked to talk to him, he doesn’t have to talk to them when they want, it is their job to go to him when he says.

Rob a bank and then tell the judge when you are willing to go to trial, it doesn’t work that way.

The problem the players have is that they decided to not play by the rules that they signed for.

Now, Goodell doesn’t have to show anything. The time for showing was at the hearing, that the players decided that they didn’t need to show up for.

We all want to see evidence, he doesn’t have to show it.

For all we know, he could be bluffing but the players decided to not make him show his hand. They can’t do that now.

They had their chance to face their accuser and they refused to do it.

Did they get railroaded, we may never know. That isn’t Goodell’s fault, that is the players fault for trying to play chicken with the Judge and Jury.

Mr. Vilma should file criminal complaints against Mr. Goodell at both the State and Federal levels. This reads as extortion against him, as well as the associated charges for misuse of communications facilities across State lines for the purpose of criminal activity.

Unfortunately, we serfs have made the God-awful mistake of giving our prosecutorial power to the corrupt state. Now, criminal injustices can’t be remedied when the other party is politically connected.

OTOH, there can be no doubt that a criminal conspiracy has taken place in this case, just really a bad deal that we are all dis-empowered to act on that information.